Tullow nearly made a miraculous comeback yesterday against Boyne in the Leinster League.
Trailing 19-0 at half time, Tullow clawed their way back into the game, to have the score 19-19 going into injury time.
Unfortunately for them Boyne proved to be victorious in the end, finishing the game 22-19.
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Monkstown 52 Carlow 0
With the first round of the Provincial Towns Cup only a few weeks away on March 1st, Carlow’s rugby team is experiencing a worryingly poor run of form.
At the weekend the Barrowsiders travelled to Dublin to take on runaway table toppers Monkstown. Carlow were short a number of regulars but that was not sufficient explanation for the 52 nil thrashing.
Facing a strong breeze in the first half Carlow were quite competitive but they still leaked 4 tries which gave the hosts a rather flattering 26 – nil half time lead.
With the wind behind their team after the break Carlow supporters were hopeful of a fight back. For a while this looked possible. The visitors were doing well in the lineouts but scrums were in chaos with the loss of tighthead prop Ross Byrne. Ross Elmes had made a number of breaks from number 8. Shirley and Challe were securing lineout ball and the Edgehill brothers were tackling all comers . But 16 minutes into the half Monkstown centre Mickey McDermott intercepted on his own 22 and ran all the way to the Carlow posts.
This seemed to unnerve Carlow. Instead of using the wind to gain advantage Carlow began running the ball almost from their own line. Almost inevitably balls were dropped and there were more intercepts leading to three late Monkstown tries two of which were converted.
The coaches and management will be hoping that the Oak Park side will have offloaded all the gremlins and left them in Monkstown.
Carlow
Peter Hennessey, Sam Cullen, Daithi Murphy, Richard Whyte Capt, Calum Murphy, John Whyte, Jeff McDermott, Larry McGrath, Evan Gordon, Ross Byrne, Wes Shirley, Thomas Whitney, Rhys Edgehill, Jack Hickey, Ross Elmes.
Subs – Owen Edgehill, John Lyons, Martin Mullins, Harry Hennessey, Chris Challe, Sam Dunne.